What it takes from a bitch to grow her puppies in utero, and to grow them on once they are on the ground, comes in large part from what that bitch has from the start herself. Yes, absolutely, it can be exhausting and draining on the bitch, if she is not in peak condition before breeding, and not fed properly during the time she is nursing. Some bitches give it all to the pups, and lose condition, and don't come back well. These bitches I would no put on my list of "good brood bitches". And I would not breed them back the next cycle if not in condition. Frankly, a bitch who puts herself at risk like this would gets the bells ringing in my head over whether I wanted her in my breeding program or not. And I would certainly revisit my feeding/management program as well.
I have a bitch here with four pups. They were four weeks old yesterday. She put on weight while pregnant - I mean fat-on-the-ribs weight. Not to excess, but she is a strong and fit girl, and she just loved the extra stuff towards the end of the pregnancy. The pups are eating nothing but mother's milk at this point. They weigh 8-9 lbs today, and are active and happy. They fill up when nursing, get satisfied and don't cry for extra. They have full bodies, and lovely bone, and are thriving. As is the bitch. She is fed more than adequate nutrition - and I'm not getting into a raw vs. kibble diet thing here :-) I can feel her ribs if I search for them. And she has a waist. She looks lovely and is bright-eyed and happy. Should all continue to go well, I would not hesitate to consider breeding her back on her next cycle. We shall begin food other than bitch milk in another week. There is some fascinating information out there about the changes in the energy content of a bitch's milk over the lactation period, and the amount of food/energy intake a bitch must have to produce adequately for her pups - if anyone is interested.... :-) The milk intake of a Beagle puppy is about 5.5 ounces per day. With an average size Beagle litter, the bitch needs to produce about one quart of milk per day (Oftedal O. Lactation in the dog: Milk Composition and intake by Puppies. J Nutr 1984: 114:803-312). Just imagine the milk Peals is putting out - she sure ain't no Beagle! I am letting her tell me how much more food she wants - she is currently eating slightly more than 200% of her maintenance diet. I expect it to go up before it goes down. Any other breeders out there care to share? Libby Kesner and the Berner girls of Maine Voorheesville NY USA
